Madness was the word chosen to give this month of the basketball calendar its alliterative nickname, but the conditions that so often foster the improbable come March could just as easily be labeled Magic. 

Magic, after all, only exists for those who believe. And that's a necessary ingredient for the downright supernatural that shapes basketball's postseason. 

"When you get to this time of year," said William & Mary coach Dane Fischer, "You’ve got to believe. Believe, believe, believe."

Being party to an exclusive club of unfortunate distinction might understandably quell belief of those around the Tribe. William & Mary is one of only four programs that were NCAA members in 1939 never to play in the Tournament launched that year. 

As of March 4, half of the quartet are guaranteed to extend their drought to an 85th year with St. Francis Brooklyn bowing out of the Northeast Conference Tournament in a 1st Round loss to Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday, and The Citadel dispatched from the Southern Conference Tournament by Mercer on Friday. 

Army West Point's dream remains alive with a March 5 matchup against a powerful Colgate team in the Patriot League semifinals. And, thanks to its 73-51 rout of Elon in the opening game of Saturday's session of the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, William & Mary can still believe that it will hear its name called on NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday for the first time. 

The Tribe cruised thanks to a torrid 14-of-32 shooting from 3-point range, half of those makes courtesy of Miguel Ayesa. Ayesa's seven made triples and William & Mary's 14 overall each tied for second-most in CAA Championship history. 

That's now SEVEN 3s and counting for Miguel Ayesa as @WMTribeMBB extends its lead.

WATCH: https://t.co/IchwfCXomj pic.twitter.com/00bQvstjCZ

— FloHoops (@FloHoops) March 4, 2023

The senior Ayesa leading the Tribe to a postseason win is a fitting reflection of how far belief goes on the hardwood. After hitting 41 3-pointers for a an average north of 37 percent in his freshman campaign, Ayesa fell well short of that mark over his next two seasons combined with 24 total makes beyond the arc. 

At the tail-end of his fourth season, however, Ayesa is playing a key role for the Tribe. His 23 points in Saturday's win over Elon gives him 53 combined over William & Mary's last three — all Tribe wins. 

Ayesa attributed his late-season surge to "play[ing] with confidence."

With Ayesa's belief in himself comes belief in his William & Mary conjuring up some March magic. 

"Throughout the season, [we] kept growing as a team," he said. "Definitely had some bumps in the road, but we’re coming into the conference tournament playing our best basketball, and that’s all you need. You come in playing your best, anything can happen in March."

Anything, as it concerns William & Mary reaching its first-ever NCAA Tournament, next means upsetting CAA co-regular season champion and top overall seed, Hofstra. 

The Pride boast both the CAA Coach of the Year in Speedy Claxton, and two-time CAA Player of the Year Aaron Estrada. 

Although it certainly helps, having the best player on the floor guarantees nothing come March — William & Mary knows that all too well. 

In 2015, the Tribe advanced to the CAA title game as the tournament's No. 1 seed and with future NBA player Marcus Thornton leading the way. Thornton scored a hair less than 25 points per game for the CAA Championship, but the Tribe fell short. 

The 2019-20 William & Mary team featured Nathan Knight, who is currently playing quality minutes off the bench as the Minnesota Timberwolves make a push for the NBA Playoffs. 

Elon ended the Tribe's hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic even had a chance to, as the seventh-seeded Phoenix shocked William & Mary in the quarterfinals. 

But while the loss to Elon in 2020 may sting for the Tribe, it serves as a reminder of why a squad like this year's eighth-seeded William & Mary bunch can believe ahead of facing Hofstra. 

The CAA Championship Game has included a team seeded No. 5 or worse in each of the last three years, including another eight-seed, Elon, in 2021. The Phoenix lost their bid for a first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance — albeit in significantly less time as a Div. I program than William & Mary — to No. 6 seed Drexel. 

If that's not reason enough for the 2023 Tribe to believe, Ayesa offered up more. 

"I know for a fact we’ve got momentum then Hofstra does," he said — ironic given the Pride are winners of 11 straight coming into the quarterfinals. But Ayesa added his rationale: "Because we’ve been playing and they haven’t yet."

Hofstra tips off on Sunday at the end of an eight-day layoff since concluding the regular season. There's something to be said for being warm in March. 

There's also plenty to be said for believing in magic this time of year.